A Polar Express Gift Shop loaded with ornaments, toys, t-shirts, and souvenirs will be open for business during the event. It is located at the Hood River Depot. Make sure to stop by and shop for holiday gifts and memorabilia from your ride aboard The Polar Express.

Passengers are invited to wear their pajamas on the train, just like in the movie! On board, the passenger cars are festively decorated for the holidays. The Conductor will welcome everyone aboard and punch each passenger's train ticket. En route to the North Pole, the book The Polar Express will be read and music from The Polar Express movie will be played. Passengers are served hot chocolate and cookies by dancing chefs. Upon arrival at the North Pole, Santa Claus and elves are visible waving to the train as passengers watch from aboard the train. Santa Claus and elves then board the train. Elves will be in each train car and will entertain passengers and lead them in singing Christmas carols. Santa Claus moves through each train car to greet each child, giving them their own personal silver sleigh bell.

Yes, as long as your group is all booked in one reservation, you will be assigned seats together. Depending on the size of your group, your reservation may require more than one section, in which case you will have seats assigned across the aisle or directly behind or forward of your main location.

The Polar Express at the Mt Hood Railroad offers four classes of service for our guests to select seats. All classes are in comfortable, heated cars and include a visit from Santa.

Sky Dome Class is our premium offering with seats in our upper dome cars that features wide windows for viewing our stop at the North Pole. All Sky Dome class guests will receive a souvenir Polar Express mug served with hot cocoa and a cookie. All Sky Dome class kids will receive a shiny golden ticket, and a sleigh bell from Santa! Seating in Sky Dome Class requires the purchase of even number of seats.

Diamond Class offers plush seats at booth style tables with wide viewing windows. All Diamond class guests will receive a souvenir Polar Express mug served with hot cocoa and a cookie. All Diamond class kids will receive a shiny golden ticket, and a sleigh bell from Santa! Seating in Diamond Class requires the purchase of even number of seats.

Parlor Class has seating in dining cars with tables and chairs. All Parlor class guests will receive a souvenir Polar Express mug served with hot cocoa and a cookie. All Parlor class kids will receive a shiny golden ticket and a sleigh bell from Santa. Note that seating in Parlor class requires the purchase of even number of seats.

Standard Class is in traditional railroad seating with rowed seats. All Standard class guests will receive a sugar cookie and hot cocoa and all standard class children will receive a shiny golden ticket and a sleigh bell from Santa.

We have wheelchair lifts and locations for chairs in our Standard and Parlor Classes only. Please call a representative at 877-726-7245 to book your tickets. Explain your specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate you.

We cannot insure that our special cocoa and cookies do not contain ingredients that your family member may be allergic to. Guests are welcome to bring their own snack option for a family member with allergies.

You can purchase tickets online or with our toll free number 877-726-7245. Any unsold tickets will be available at the depot on a first come, first served basis. Everyone attending must have a ticket, including children sitting on your lap under the age of two (a ‘babe-in-arms’ ticket can be obtained from our reservation agent or online.)

The Event has Regular Pricing and Peak Day Pricing. Peak Day prices are $2 more per ticket than Regular Days. Standard Class tickets do not increase for Peak days. Regular priced days are all dates in November prior to Thanksgiving, Dec. 3-4, 10-11 and 26-28. All other departure dates are at Peak Pricing.

Sturdy shoes with closed toes are best for train safety. (No slippers, open-toed shoes, sandals, or flip flops). We encourage each child to wear pajamas as the children do in the book! It’s quite common for all members of the family to enjoy the Polar Express in pajamas, you’ll be amazed at how much fun it is to get Dad and Grandpa to join in!

This is a memory you'll want to save so we suggest bringing a camera with a flash if you are riding an evening train due to the lighting conditions. During boarding guests will be outdoors so dress for the weather. Have your reservation number or confirmation email to present to the Will-Call Clerks. Your ticket includes the ride and cocoa and cookies served on board as well as a silver bell for each child. Additional gift shop items are available for sale, including The Polar Express Book, in the gift shop.

The Mt. Hood Railroad Depot is located on the corner of First St. & Cascade Ave. in downtown Hood River on the south side of I-84, 60 miles east of Portland at exit 63. Hood River can also be approached from the south by State Highway 35, on the scenic Mt. Hood Loop.

Please prepare for winter or holiday road and traffic conditions! The Mt Hood Railroad is not liable for road closures or delays. This event will run no matter the weather. In the event the train is unable to operate you will be notified immediately and given a complete refund or the opportunity to reschedule.

There is ample parking at the Palestine depot. We have a designated area for disabled parking for autos that display the proper badge; please follow parking lot signage. Parking is $5 per auto. You'll be given an opportunity to pre-pay for your parking when you purchase your tickets.

Unfortunately, due to the popularity of this train event, there are no refunds, reschedules or cancellations. Please be sure that when you make your reservation, you know exactly which date and which departure time you wish to secure. The train can depart in rain or snow. In the event the train is unable to operate, you will be notified immediately and given a complete refund or the opportunity to reschedule

Unfortunately, due to the popularity of this train tour, there are no refunds, reschedules or cancellations. Please be sure that when you make your reservation you know exactly which date and which train time you wish to secure. The train can depart in rain or snow. In the event the train is unable to operate, you will be notified immediately and given a complete refund or the opportunity to reschedule.

Please prepare for winter or holiday road and traffic conditions! The Mt Hood Railroad is not liable for road closures or delays. This event will run no matter the weather. In the event the train is unable to operate, you will be notified immediately and given a complete refund or the opportunity to reschedule.

Yes, your group will be assigned an exclusive block of seats together. Tickets will be printed for these seats, but not assigned to individual members of the Group. This allows your group members to determine individually which seats they would like to sit in during the ride. Please advise and arrange your group members to arrive early to ensure smooth seating aboard the train.

We have dedicated Representatives to accommodate your special Group needs. Please contact them through the dedicated phone line or email listed below to make your reservation. We cannot currently book your Group’s reservations online. Please speak personally to our group representative to be sure your reservation is given the attention it requires.

We do not mail out tickets. All tickets should be picked up at the Ticket Window at the Train Depot the same day of the event. Group tickets will be bundled together for the Group Leader to pass out and assign the seating for group members within their designated seats.